The narrator is unable to understand the extent of Edith and F.'s love for him until they die. Can love be quantified? How do we express love to those we care about, and are our expressions useful in any real way?

F. and the Narrator struggle to understand Catherine Tekakwitha as a woman and end up viewing her as a symbol. Discuss the idea of a historical legacy? Is it possible to understand certain figures (Abraham Lincoln, Jesus Christ, Mother Theresa) as human beings?

Compare Catherine Tekakwitha's time period with the narrator's. How are they similar? What traditions and practices are being challenged and who is challenging them?

Why does Edith kill herself? Several events and discussions are mentioned as catalysts for the act. Did she do it to help or to punish the narrator?

How does the narrator's basement apartment become hell...